San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-10-08
SATURDAY. OCTOBER, 8, 1887.
ON BOTH SHOULDERS.


The morning paper contains the fol-
lowing editorial utterances concerning
the alleged arraignment OF the police OF
this city BY the grand jury Of the coun-
ty in its recent report. The first editor
isl says:
1.-The people ask for no betrayal of any
OF the secrets of the grand jury room.
They want only competent council
committee of investigation and witness
es summoned competent to speak OF the
conduct OF the police"
The second excerpt from the editorial
columns referred to is of different
tenor and says:
aid. Belknap, judging from his re-
marks to an Express reporter yesterday,
is willing to sit still, as an alderman,
and allow the city police to rest under
an aspersiOn of lack OF fidelity to their
important trusts This is unjust to
either the police or the people, and reli-
ance now appears to rest with Aid. Gal
lRgher."
The ways OF Texas justice may be
very mysterious and past finding out,
but in the midst of the darkness one
naturally asks for light These ques-
tions suggest themselves. Has Alder
man Belknap any knowledge Of police
shortcomings which he did not gain as
member OF grand jury, sOlemnly sworn
to secrecy? II not, how can he do other
wise as an ALDERMAN than "sit still, ;" so
far as this police racket ia concerned?
1t will not do to say that as alderman
he may call for police investigation; for,
unless he has some knowledge Of police
shortcomings other than that gained in
TIE secret chamber Of the grand jury he
can not make his case good against the
supposed delnQuents. 1t will not do to
say he may summon witnesses; for, these
witnesses are unknown to him as an al
derman, he only having knowledge of
them as grand Juror sworn to secrecy.
The result of his knowledge is oommu-
nicated to the court. The court makes
public the same OF that knowledge
the common council may take advant-
age, but they cannot call upon the mem
bers of the grand jury to supplement
that knowledge by any particulars
learned by them as grand jurors. Why
then refer to the matter at all? Why
make that allusiOn to the. police in the
report? Simply because the facts COM
Ing before the grand jury justified, in
the minds Of the jury, the conclusion
given to the court 1t now remains for
the common council to seek by means
within itself to investigate the conduct
OF the municipal police. 1t does not
necessarily follow that the testimony
before the grand jury was Of such a
character as to neoessitate the indict-
ment OF a single policeman, and yet 1t
may have been sufficient TO render very
proper and necessary an investigation
into the official acts Of some members OF
the police force. The LIGHT has no
knowledge concerning this matter
beyond the report Of the grand jury, and
the act of council, and the editorial
utterances quoted above. 1t has asked
no word from Col. Belknsp, nothing
from Alderman Gallagher. 1t simply
concludes from a commonsense view OF
the case that great cry is made to no
purpose. The grand jury say certain
things rejecting upon the police Of this
city. That something their Oaths for
bid them to diyulge. Because one OF
that grand jury was a member Of the
city council 1t does not follow that he
is compelled to make good the statement
Of the grand jury report in the council
chamber. He has done his duty as
juryman. Condemn him as an alder
man after he he's refused or failed to
perform bis duty as such alderman, and
not before. Blame the law which
makes Of our grand jury rooms cham
bers of secret inquisition.
The wool shearers will hardly secure
as good prices for the fall clip as for the
gprinR crop, Eastern buyers are evil